Payment of half salary aberration, contravention of laws – ASUU

By Ukpono Ukpong

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that recent payment of half salary for the month of October is not just an aberration, but a contravention of all known rules of engagement in any contract of employment for academics the world over.

Rising from an emergency meeting of the ASUU’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on Tuesday in Abuja, the ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed that the NEC deliberated on the developments since the suspension of the strike.

While noting that the Union suspended its eight-month strike on 14th October, 2022, in obedience to the order of the National Industrial Court and in further consideration of intervention efforts of well-meaning Nigerians, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, he said that the response of government towards ASUU’s demonstration of trust was not only an aberration, but a contravention of all known rules of engagement in any contract of employment for academics the world over.

“The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended its eight-month strike on 14th October, 2022, in obedience to the order of the National Industrial Court and in further consideration of intervention efforts of well-meaning Nigerians, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The action of the Union was a display of manifest trust in the judiciary and other institutions and organs of government to always put national interest above all other considerations. This we believe, as a union of thinkers, intellectuals, and patriots, will not only aid the process of amicable resolution of the crisis, but will also set the tone for smooth industrial relations between Government and Nigerian workers at large.

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“Unfortunately, the response of government towards ASUU’s demonstration of trust was the so-called ‘pro-rata’ payment for eighteen days as the October 2022 salaries of academics thereby portraying them as daily paid workers! This is not only an aberration, but a contravention of all known rules of engagement in any contract of employment for academics the world over.

“At an emergency meeting of the ASUU’s National Executive Committee (NEC), held on Monday, 7th November, 2022, the Union deliberated on developments since the suspension of the strike. NEC noted with dismay that paying academics on “pro-rata” basis, like casual workers, is unprecedented in the history of university oriented labour relations and therefore condemned this attempt to reduce Nigerian scholars to casual workers in its entirety.

“NEC commends the membership of ASUU for their perseverance in the face of untold hardship and unwarranted provocation by some notorious agents of the ruling class. NEC further appeals for the understanding of Nigerian students, parents and other genuinely concerned individuals and groups while the Union continues to pursue positive resolution of this avoidable crisis within the ambit of legality without compromising the interests and welfare of Nigerian intellectuals,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to stop provoking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in a dispute over wages, DailytimesNGR gathered.

Mr Falana, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the lecturers should be paid their full salaries for months they were on a strike action.

“The doctrine of ‘no work, no pay’ is totally inapplicable to” ASUU members, Falana, a counsel to ASUU, said on Tuesday.

He argued that the lecturers still have to cover the work missed between February and October.

“We are asking all Nigerians who mounted pressure on ASUU to call off the strike . . . all of us have a duty to prevail on the government to stop provoking the lecturers,” Falana said.